# Cipher with a hidden key

The challenge is to decode this cipher:

TJ KS JX AP GN DT DG FE ER EU UA HJ


The key is attached to this question. Try to find it!

• What kind of encryption have you used? – ghosts_in_the_code Feb 21 '15 at 15:29
• could be hex numbers with a direct mapping... 15 different symbols – Varon Feb 23 '15 at 9:28
• Have a feeling that The key is attached to this question has a lot to do with it. – Brian Robbins Feb 23 '15 at 15:42

The message, decoded using Vigenere, is:

thisisanencodededmessage

and the key is

accabf

Key and text were decoded using a program I have written. The code cannot be made available. But there are probably similar ones online that aren't as accurate. If the message had no English words in it would have not been found without his key that is hidden in the question.

I actually do not see the key anywhere in here but I didn't look for it to hard either. Based on the length of 6 it's probably the hex color coding to one of the elements on this site.

• I encoded the message using a completely different method but you got it right. Very impressive. – GamrCorps Feb 23 '15 at 16:26
• "encodeded"...? – xnor Feb 24 '15 at 2:39
• @Len I updated answer but it isn't going to help anyone learn. Plus the op said it wasn't the right method unless he did individual Caesar shifts. – Bozman Feb 24 '15 at 17:56

I assume the OP is still waiting for the key to be identified. The correct key is:

022015 which is the month and year that are "attached to this question".

Using numbers as the key makes this a Gronsfeld cipher instead of a Vigenère cipher.

The result is the same (with a double "ed"): thisisanencodededmessage